News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[Cesar R M]

A giant Sorcerer Mickey hat?

I'll show myself out now.

So, this is where they are going to move that thing?
I still prefer it to be built on top of spaceship earth in the 50th.

 

[Kamikaze]

I'll throw this in here since I haven't seen it mentioned yet (or it has and I missed it) but there's rumor that WDW is going to start an Uber-like car service. If that's true it will be interesting to see how it meshes with the advent of a gondola system and a reduction in buses.

One has nothing to do with the other. That system is for people wanting quick, paid direct service. This is a bus replacement for 3 resorts to two parks.

 

[Kamikaze]

The towers are mostly carrying vertical forces, not the end horizontal forces.

As the cable is mostly straight through the towers, you're correct. But the cable is making contact in the tower, thus alleviating at least some force/tension.

My whole point was this isn't going to be some ridiculously huge foundation or pile. Even in Florida soil. Over-engineered for sure, but its not like they are going to be disturbing huge areas to do the work.

 

[Laketravis]

One has nothing to do with the other. That system is for people wanting quick, paid direct service. This is a bus replacement for 3 resorts to two parks.

Over time we could see an increase in quick, paid direct service offerings with changes to the current slow, free, multi-point service. I'd like to think Disney still has some innovative energy left and might see the usefulness of a large fleet of for-a-fee autonomous electric vehicles in the not so distant future. Ground transportation could slowly shift to that model while the "free" mass people mover is overhead.

 

[jt04]

Over time we could see an increase in quick, paid direct service offerings with changes to the current slow, free, multi-point service. I'd like to think Disney still has some innovative energy left and might see the usefulness of a large fleet of for-a-fee autonomous electric vehicles in the not so distant future. Ground transportation could slowly shift to that model while the "free" mass people mover is overhead.

Eisner actually predicted autonomous vehicles on property.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I'll throw this in here since I haven't seen it mentioned yet (or it has and I missed it) but there's rumor that WDW is going to start an Uber-like car service. If that's true it will be interesting to see how it meshes with the advent of a gondola system and a reduction in buses.

Over time we could see an increase in quick, paid direct service offerings with changes to the current slow, free, multi-point service. I'd like to think Disney still has some innovative energy left and might see the usefulness of a large fleet of for-a-fee autonomous electric vehicles in the not so distant future. Ground transportation could slowly shift to that model while the "free" mass people mover is overhead.

Eisner actually predicted autonomous vehicles on property.

This rumored car service is supposedly using only electric vehicles, and most electric vehicles already have some type of driverless AI to varying degrees. So, this tells me that they are well on their way to driverless vehicles. By using an Uber-like interface, they can combine regular routes of driverless vehicles/buses with diverless vans and cars for less traveled routes (like resort to resort) or for EVC portage. They're already building dedicated bus lanes which will become dedicated driverless lanes.

Once this becomes mass transit, I doubt it will cost extra... the resort premium covers 'free' transportation.

 

[danlb_2000]

I'll throw this in here since I haven't seen it mentioned yet (or it has and I missed it) but there's rumor that WDW is going to start an Uber-like car service. If that's true it will be interesting to see how it meshes with the advent of a gondola system and a reduction in buses.

I could definitely see this as part of an overall transportation strategy, but the downside of this is the very small passenger density. Having more vehicles carrying a smaller number of people is a nice convenience but it going to lead to more congestion on the roads, even if they are all fully automated.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I could definitely see this as part of an overall transportation strategy, but the downside of this is the very small passenger density. Having more vehicles carrying a smaller number of people is a nice convenience but it going to lead to more congestion on the roads, even if they are all fully automated.

This. Self-driving cars and PRT just greatly increase the number of vehicles and congestion.
http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/2nd-Ave-Gif-2.gif

 

[Ripken10]

I could definitely see this as part of an overall transportation strategy, but the downside of this is the very small passenger density. Having more vehicles carrying a smaller number of people is a nice convenience but it going to lead to more congestion on the roads, even if they are all fully automated.

I definitely agree here (but then again, I am a bit older then I care to admit...not too old;-). I would like to see the push for getting cars off the road, rather than transportation methods getting cars on the road. But then again, I am not a fan of UBER...so I am definitely going to be biased.

 

[Laketravis]

Once this becomes mass transit, I doubt it will cost extra... the resort premium covers 'free' transportation.

Except they've recently played with the idea of pay-for park to park transport so apparently they are open to the idea. I don't know how that's working out for them though.

This. Self-driving cars and PRT just greatly increase the number of vehicles and congestion.
http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/2nd-Ave-Gif-2.gif

Cyclists can sometimes have an inherent bias against any form of motorized transportation. I've read counter opinions that argue autonomous vehicles increase traffic capacity because they can operate in much more dense scenarios than human drivers can safely handle. There is also evidence that many smaller independent "pods" are more efficient than larger ones on a binary route.

 

[danlb_2000]

Except they've recently played with the idea of pay-for park to park transport so apparently they are open to the idea. I don't know how that's working out for them though.



Cyclists can sometimes have an inherent bias against any form of motorized transportation. I've read counter opinions that argue autonomous vehicles increase traffic capacity because they can operate in much more dense scenarios than human drivers can safely handle. There is also evidence that many smaller independent "pods" are more efficient than larger ones on a binary route.

Yes, autonomous vehicles could operate more densely then manual driven cars but they are still taking up more space the busses. I would think individual transport would be better when there are a large number of destinations, but at Disney there are a small number of very highly traveled routes which would be served better by higher density vehicles.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Except they've recently played with the idea of pay-for park to park transport so apparently they are open to the idea. I don't know how that's working out for them though.

That's because Park to Park is new, experimental, and not resort-oriented. If Park to Park ever becomes standard, I can see the Hopper Pass and Annual Passes increased to make that 'free'.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Cyclists can sometimes have an inherent bias against any form of motorized transportation. I've read counter opinions that argue autonomous vehicles increase traffic capacity because they can operate in much more dense scenarios than human drivers can safely handle. There is also evidence that many smaller independent "pods" are more efficient than larger ones on a binary route.

That image is one of several images intended to show how much space personal vehicles occupy. It being hosted on a cycling site was irrelevant to me posting it. Even being able to be closer and operate instead of park, two or three self driving cars will occupy the same space as a bus that holds more people. At Walt Disney World those people are going to a limited number of places that uses already serve, so you don't have the same multitude of destinations that you would have in an urban environment. There is also nothing that makes self driving buses impossible, so all those advantages of a self driving car at Walt Disney World are also advantages of a higher capacity bus.

That's because Park to Park is new, experimental, and not resort-oriented. If Park to Park ever becomes standard, I can see the Hopper Pass and Annual Passes increased to make that 'free'.

Park-to-park transportation is not at all new or experimental. The Magic Kingdom was the last park to receive direct park-to-park bus service and that occurred several years ago.

 

[danlb_2000]

That image is one of several images intended to show how much space personal vehicles occupy. It being hosted on a cycling site was irrelevant to me posting it. Even being able to be closer and operate instead of park, two or three self driving cars will occupy the same space as a bus that holds more people. At Walt Disney World those people are going to a limited number of places that uses already serve, so you don't have the same multitude of destinations that you would have in an urban environment. There is also nothing that makes self driving buses impossible, so all those advantages of a self driving car at Walt Disney World are also advantages of a higher capacity bus.
.

... and not only an issue of road space, but also pickup and drop off space.

 

[kthomas105]

With the Monorail and TTC now included within the security perimeter would it be safe to assume that each gondola station would now be enveloped within a security perimeter too? Thus dropping off behind DHS security bag check and EPCOT's international gateway bag check? I'm assuming the Transfer station by CBR would then act similarly to the TTC in some regards. This is purely based on my own assumptions. My apologies if this has already been covered.

 

[jt04]

With the Monorail and TTC now included within the security perimeter would it be safe to assume that each gondola station would now be enveloped within a security perimeter too? Thus dropping off behind DHS security bag check and EPCOT's international gateway bag check? I'm assuming the Transfer station by CBR would then act similarly to the TTC in some regards. This is purely based on my own assumptions. My apologies if this has already been covered.

I would guess if this was within a secure envelope they would have terminated it near Italy or Germany rather than the expense of going all the way to the IG. Just a guess though.

 

[peter11435]

With the Monorail and TTC now included within the security perimeter would it be safe to assume that each gondola station would now be enveloped within a security perimeter too? Thus dropping off behind DHS security bag check and EPCOT's international gateway bag check? I'm assuming the Transfer station by CBR would then act similarly to the TTC in some regards. This is purely based on my own assumptions. My apologies if this has already been covered.

It should be within the secure zone

 

[peter11435]

I would guess if this was within a secure envelope they would have terminated it near Italy or Germany rather than the expense of going all the way to the IG. Just a guess though.

Then they would have had the expense of a new park entrance and exit, touchpoints, and required guests services.

 

[danlb_2000]

I would guess if this was within a secure envelope they would have terminated it near Italy or Germany rather than the expense of going all the way to the IG. Just a guess though.

Just a couple more yards of cable and some re-configuration of the IG, much cheaper then having to build an staff a third entrance.

 

[jt04]

Just a couple more yards of cable and some re-configuration of the IG, much cheaper then having to build an staff a third entrance.

Are you suggesting they will screen before boarding? That would make it possible to be dropped off inside the parks. I like that idea.